Windhoek Flight Guide

Windhoek is the capital of Namibia and with its 400,000 inhabitants it is a peculiar mix of German colonial influence and African lifestyles. Windhoek is undoubtedly the economic, political and cultural centre of Namibia and is the starting point for almost any journey through the fascinating country in southern Africa. The name ‘Windhoek’ is of Afrikaans origin and means ‘Windy Corner’. The native Nama people however also call it ‘Ai-Gams’ which means ‘Hot Springs’.

The main tourist life takes place in downtown Windhoek around the Sand Hotel and the Zoo. Visitors will find many cafes and a market where they can purchase African arts and crafts. There are also numerous shopping malls and plenty of souvenir shops. The city is dominated by a mixture of colonial architecture and modern buildings which demonstrate the fusion of old and new. All attractions in Windhoek can be reached on foot and there are several museums that are worth seeing. After 6pm the downtown area becomes quiet and there is no nightlife as such apart from a few bars that are open during the evening hours. The Township Katutura is also worth seeing and can be visited as part of a guided tour. Katatura means ‘the place where you don’t want to live’ and was important during the 50’s when Apartheid politics tried to create a ‘white’ Windhoek and deported all natives to Katatura. Today, there are around 120,000 residents in Katatura and it is definitely interesting and a great place to learn more about Namibia’s history and people.

Windhoek has an international airport called "Hosea Kutako" which is situated about 40 km east of the city. The national airport "Eros" is south of Windhoek and is primarily used for domestic and regional flights. Windhoek’s railway station is not of much use to tourists as it connects smaller towns to Windhoek and offers no international routes between Namibia and other African countries. Flights from major Australian airports such as Perth and Sydney involve at least one stop on the way. Look out for South African Airways which offers the quickest routes and arrive in Windhoek within 16 -18 hours. Passengers from smaller airports such as Adelaide will travel via Sydney or Perth and the flight can take up to 29 hours- compare airlines to ensure the shortest possible route.

http://www.hotelsaccommodation.com.au Hotels Accommodation
http://www.windhoekcc.org.na/ - Windhoek visitor information
http://www.namibia-travel.net/centralnamibia/windhoek.htm - travel information Windhoek
http://wikitravel.org/en/Windhoek - Travel guide Windhoek
http://www.airports.com.na/ - Airport information Namibia
http://www.dfat.gov.au/missions/ - Australian Embassies worldwide
http://www.qantas.com - Qantas
http://www.airfaresflights.com.au Airfares Flights
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/ Smart Traveller